


Loaded Vice

by thewxntersxldier



Category: CKHD
Genre: Everyone Is Gay, F/F, Gay, Spy gays, author abandoned this fic oops, based off that one klance fic, because lesbians - Freeform, crackheads being stupid but in fic form, i cant believe it’s not crack, spy AU, technically college age ??, thats not a joke, when redd sees a het she floors it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-27
Updated: 2019-07-07
Packaged: 2019-09-01 04:31:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,513
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16757998
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thewxntersxldier/pseuds/thewxntersxldier
Summary: The Djinn are the most powerful organization of vigilantes Los Angeles has ever seen. Brenna Sellers and Redd Hunt are the organizations top agents, the two most talented, most agile members and are sure to get the job done. If only they could get along. Dom and Amanda are fed up, and this mission might just make or break their relationship.





	1. I-90

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! Dom was very kind to loan me their account for a while to write this fic, and I’m very proud of the idea! Have this being a spy au, there will definitely be some triggering parts, please be aware of those! - Kenzi

They call it the butterfly effect.

The idea that a butterfly flapping its wings today, can lead to a devastating hurricane weeks from now. Often referred to as the Chaos Theory, it’s not an unpopular one and it’s definitely not a wrong one either. The idea that everything is connected seems like an impossible one, but it is oh so real.

It was a Friday afternoon in late autumn when it all started, and Brenna Sellers was leaving her psychologically lecture, fatigued and aching from the night before. It had been a long day, and all she wanted was to go to headquarters and knock a punching bag until it flew off the chains. She sighed, hiking her bag higher onto her shoulder and making a beeline for the bus station. 

A rather short girl, standing at only five feet two inches tall, she took the longest strides she could manage, which didn’t say very much. Brenna had a good build from all the training she did, but her best skill was easily her agility. Her superior had told her many of time that Brenna was the most agile she’d seen in years. Pushing her black-rimmed glasses up the bridge of a freckled nose, Brenna began speed-walking to the stop.

Though she didn’t get very far before a voice called her name from behind. Brenna pivoted, the owner of the voice coming towards her in a dead sprint. Instincts taking over, Brenna side-stepped just as the girl reached her, and barely had enough time to tuck her foot back in before the girl tripped.

“Brenna!” The girl panted, “I’ve been yelling your name since the lecture ended, but you just ran for the hills.” Hands on her knees, the girl, Mary, was very much out of shape. She wasn’t overweight by any means, she just wasn’t used to running long distances, not like Brenna herself. 

“Yeah, sorry, I’m just used to being in a hurry,” Brenna quickly apologized, resuming her walk to the bus stop, at a much slower pace this time. Mary huffed loudly, jogging a bit to catch up. She wheezed. “I noticed.” Brenna offered her a small smile, not really in the mood to talk.

“I was wondering,” Mary said after a moment of silence, “what are you doing tonight?” Brenna internally sighed. She didn’t want to be mean, but now was not a good time for this. Brenna turned and faced Mary. “I have to work.” She replied. It was half true. She did have to go in, but what she was doing couldn’t really be considered “work.”

“What time do you get off?” Mary pressed. Brenna sighed out loud this time. This girl just couldn’t take a hint. “I don’t think I’m going to be able to make it to anything tonight, Mary.”

Brenna attempted to continue her walk, praying silently that Mary would magically catch a hint and leave her be. No such luck. Mary chased after her, grabbing Brenna’s arm and practically forcing her to face her again. “Tomorrow then? I was hoping we could go see a movie.” 

Bored and suddenly fed up with Mary, Brenna stared at a tree over her shoulder. “I'll see if I can.” She said through what Brenna hoped wasn’t gritted teeth. Mary nodded at that, seemingly satisfied, and Brenna breathed a sigh of relief to be done with the conversation. She’d be lucky if that bus hadn’t left without her. 

“Oh by the way,” Mary started. Brenna was at her breaking point. “There’s a weird biker chick staring at you.” Brenna’s stomach dropped at the words, and she wasted no time in doing a full 180. There, standing against the hood of a cherry red Dodge Challenger was Redd Hunt. Her partner, her rival, and most importantly, her own royal pain in the ass.

Brenna waved a quick goodbye to Mary, before hurrying at top speed over to Redd. The latter was calm, stoic, her bright red face mask pulled up to her nose and unruly hair pulled back. Bright gold hoops dangled from her ears. Probably stolen. 

“What the hell are you doing here?” Brenna hissed once she was in Redd’s earshot. Through her mask, Redd’s voice was muffled but still managed to hold the annoyed tone she seemed to always have. “We have a situation, get your mask and gun. We have to go.” 

It was all she said before turning and climbing in the car. Brenna huffed. She didn’t like taking orders, especially from someone so impulsive and criminal, but the bus had more than likely come and gone, and here Redd was offering her a ride.

She climbed in, pulling her blue face mask from her back pocket. Each mask had a word at the top in Japanese, either a nickname or something that meant something to them, and their motto at the bottom. “A studio iustitiam reperiendi” in English, “fight for justice.” 

Brenna’s choice of word was 鳥 which meant “bird.” It was the nickname her mother had for her when she was young, a nickname everyone close to her used. It meant a lot having it displayed on her mask, a constant reminder of who and what she was doing this for. 

Brenna has noticed long ago that Redd didn’t have anything at the top of her mask, just the motto at the bottom of the red. She never bothered to ask what that was about, partly because Redd was never an open person and probably wouldn’t tell her. 

Snapping out her daydream, Brenna tied her mask around her head, pulling her bag into her lap and quickly assembling her handgun. “What’s so important that you had to pull me from campus, yet isn’t important enough to pull me out of class?” Brenna asked once she had her gun ready and in its holster. 

Redd scoffed as if it was obvious. It wasn’t. “Alyssa called. Told me to pick you up from your lecture and bring you back to Lancaster.” She said shortly. Lancaster was the name of the mansion Alyssa’s family owned. Alyssa, one of the agents involved in their organization, The Djinn, had come into money inherited from her father after his death. Her mother had passed during birth. 

Only few had ever even been allowed in Lancaster, for Alyssa was often skeptical of everyone, especially new recruits. Redd was one of those allowed in. Brenna would be lying if she said she wasn’t a little jealous of her partner, for more than one reason. Redd and Alyssa were always close, and that irked Brenna in ways she couldn’t begin to describe. “What does Alyssa want with us? And at Lancaster?” She couldn’t help but ask.

“How the hell am I supposed to know?” Redd replied, not even glancing at Brenna. The formers voice was still severely muffled, but Brenna could hear the message behind it. Still, she pressed on. “Is she going to meet us at the gates?”

Redd sighed, deep and heavy and loud. Casually swerving in and out of cars on the freeway and going at least 90, she tossed a glance to the girl in the passenger's seat. “Yep.” It was a warning. 

Brenna nodded. The rest of the ride was quiet and awkward. Part of her wished she could curl into herself and just disappear. Even after years of working together, the two had never seemed to get along expertly, only recently having resolved a rivalry that had started when they were still kids. 

They were just so different. Brenna, who cracked lame jokes to resolve tension and always voiced her thoughts and opinions VS. Redd, who would never speak a word if she didn’t have to and always seemed to have a problem with everyone. They were exact opposites almost, and it didn’t make for the easiest of teams. 

Still, they trained together, ate together, went on missions together. Truth was, Brenna had put her life in Redd’s hands numerous times and Redd had done the same. There was a strange trust between them, one that didn’t really make sense given their rivalry, but it had been established almost eight years ago, and it proved to work. To an extent. 

Deep down, Brenna knew she and Redd would never be the best of friends, but a part of her always sort of hoped they could at least be friends. But Redd had no interest in friends and Brenna was forced to be okay with that. She knew their rivalry stemmed mainly off of Brenna’s need to impress Redd, coercing the latter’s competitive nature to spark and thus, the rivalry began. 

Even after the rivalry, Redd never tossed more than a victorious smirk Brenna’s way. For some reason, all that did was fuel the fire growing between the two. Brenna and Redd had been training together for eight years, starting when they were eighteen and the rivalry had gone on for all eight of those years. They had only been partners for four. 

Since then, the two of them had always tried to outdo the other, no matter the task. There was the time Redd began building-hopping just to challenge Brenna and she had fallen for it. Literally. She had dangled from a grappling hook for five whole seconds before pulling herself back up. 

The entire unit knew of the rivalry between Brenna and Redd, and Brenna often got an ear-full from her superior, Dom, about it. Dom and Amanda, Redd’s superior, always put the two together as a way to try and force them to work out their issues. It never worked and often led to the two of them hurting themselves in an attempt to prove their strength. Sometimes, Brenna thought Dom and Amanda did it for amusement.

The beautiful Lancaster mansion came into sight and Brenna suddenly forgot all about the rivalry. The mansion was gorgeous, complete with a six car garage, nineteen windows and a large metal gate in front. Brenna has seen Lancaster before in pictures, but she had never seen it in person. Redd didn’t offer any kind of reaction as she parked on the street opposite of the gates.

They sat there for a good seven minutes, neither saying a word. As each minute ticked by, Redd’s faced grew more and more concerned or annoyed, Brenna couldn’t tell anymore. “What’s wrong?” She dared to ask. If she didn’t know any better, she’d say Redd forgot she was in the car. Redd’s blue eyes snapped to her, mulling over a response and Brenna suddenly felt very self-conscious. 

“Nothing’s wrong.” Redd drawled slowly. Her gaze flickered out the window yet again, the second time in under a minute. Brenna held in a loud huff, narrowing her eyes into slits. She shook her head, dark brown hair bouncing. “Redd, I’ve spent eight years training with you, I know when something’s not right.”

Redd but her lip under the mask, her entire face tensing up. After another drawn out minute of silence, Brenna felt like she was about to burst when Redd finally said, “She should be here by now.” It was the softest Brenna had ever heard Redd’s voice, she only wished it hadn’t been through that damned mask.

“Maybe she got stuck in traffic.” Brenna offered. It was very possible Alyssa had gotten stuck in traffic, but was it very likely? No. Not in the slightest. If she knew that, Redd certainly knew that. 

“Alyssa doesn’t take the interstate, she takes backroads.” Redd said with firm persistence. Of course Redd would know that about Alyssa. Brenna tried not to acknowledge the feeling of envy in her gut. She shrugged, gaze searching for any other explanation of Alyssa’s absence. When she finally spotted it, she sat up in her seat a little straighter.

“Redd. Isn’t that one of Zirconium’s men? The one in the black car?” Redd’s line of sight followed Brenna’s to the black car parked by the front gates. When Redd tensed, Brenna knew she had been right. She watched as Redd’s wild gaze tore through the many cars on the block, only now realizing most of them all looked the same. 

Black with tinted windows. 

“Goddammit.” Redd exclaimed, baby blues blown wide as she reached for her gun. Brenna, not quite as quick to catch on, gripped hers as well. “What, What is it?” She prodded. Redd’s riotous stare bore into her, a hint of something Brenna couldn’t detect in her eyes. “This is a set up,” She explained, “Alyssa isn’t here. She never was.”

Brenna barely had enough time to react, before Redd had her foot slammed down on the petal and they were flying down the freeway at well over 100. The black cars followed going the same speed. It was a full blown car chase. Brenna panicked, trying to recall everything she had ever known about evading cars, but Redd seemed comfortable, even excited.

“Hey Sellers,” Redd shouted over the sound of the motor, “you ever play Grand Theft Auto V?” The glint in her eyes could now be detected as enthusiasm. The comment alone made Brenna’s stomach clinch and she braced herself against the door. Without warning, Redd made a hard left at a red light and sped down the street at top speed before making a hard right into an alleyway and shutting the car off.

Brenna’s heart was racing. For a second, she thought she was going to pass out or at least throw up, but the feeling passed and was replaced by bewilderment. “What the hell was that?” She all but screamed at her partner. Redd looked like she’d just won gold at the Olympics. 

“That was a car chase.” Redd specified. The cars following them raced right past the alley, chasing after a car that they would never catch. Once they were in the clear, Brenna’s anger peaked. “A car chase?” She yelled, “what the hell were you thinking, they weren’t even shooting at us!?” Her knuckles turned white around the door handle.

Redd rolled her eyes, bemused smirk painted across her face beneath the mask like it had been there all along. Redd pulled out of the alleyway and Brenna spent the next twenty minutes making sure they weren’t being followed. 

“That blue car has been following us for about thirty miles, Redd.”

“This is the interstate, Sellers.”

“It’s still sketchy.”

“No, it’s really not.”

When she was sure they weren’t, in fact, being followed, Brenna turned back around in her seat and huffed. Ten more minutes and they reached Headquarters, the old warehouse catching the sunlight through the windows. Redd was through the doors before Brenna could even get her belt unbuckled. 

The two of them made their down the rickety old stairs at the back corner of the warehouse, descending down into the training room. Redd led the way to the briefing area in front of the simulation deck as Brenna slipped her mask off, waving to Mina as she punched a dummy hard enough to break the head off. 

“We have a problem.” Redd still had her mask on, voice dripping with authority. Amanda turned, the smile on her face faltering when she heard the words Redd had spoken. Dom wasn’t far behind, rushing to the table and taking his place by Amanda’s side. 

Amanda quirked an eyebrow, glancing at Redd with an expression Brenna couldn’t read. Dom sent her a similar expression one that seemed to ask “what did you do?” Brenna offered them a shrug, directing her eyes back to Redd and was surprised to see the girl was already watching her. Brenna quickly looked away.

Redd placed her gun on the table alongside her phone. Pulled up on the screen was a series of text messages. To Alyssa.

Amanda spun the device towards her, looking over the messages. Dom glanced over at the messages, furrowing their eyebrows at Redd. “These were sent to you from Alyssa’s phone?” He inclined. Redd nodded rather curtly. Dom glanced at the messages once again before sliding Redd’s phone back over to her. She caught it one-handed and slipped it back into her pocket with ease.

“When we got there, Zirconium’s men were waiting for us. Alyssa was nowhere in sight. It turned into a car chase and we had to get out of there before we could investigate much.” Redd explained. Brenna snorted. “Had to get out of there” wasn’t exactly the explanation she would use for the chase. 

Redd shot her a look, one that Amanda certainly caught but didn’t address. At least not now, anyway. Brenna heard Dom snicker slightly beside her. Amanda shook her head, focusing back on the messages. “We’ll run it through the system. We’ll call you if we get a hit.” Amanda said. Leaving no room for further conversation, she turned on her heel and continued commencing the simulation.

“What should we do for now then?” Brenna asked once Amanda had gone. Dom bit their lip. Risking a fleeting glance at Redd and Brenna, he shook his head. “Train. Together.” He glance over his shoulder and then leaned in as if he were telling them a secret. “I have a feeling this isn’t as simple as we think.” They whispered, and then they were gone. 

Brenna’s heart raced at the statement. She peeked at Redd, who had already started taking her skintight leather jacket off. Of course she would be ready for combat training. Brenna did the same, stepping out into the training room and across the mat from Redd.

Brenna wished at that moment, she had known just how right Dom was.


	2. Crimson Gun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> here we go again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kicking things off with a bang I guess :)

Thump.

The sound of Brenna’s body hitting the mat echoed through the training room for the third time. She had been training with Redd for less twenty minutes, and either her body had had it today or she hadn't been training enough lately. 

Redd stood near the fatigued body, ponytail swinging in victory. Though she didn’t cheer or make a comment or even make any noise in general, her pride was evident from the smirk on her face. Brenna huffed. No way was she going to let Redd beat her this time.

The rivalry had been settled, sure, but the girls were just as competitive as the day they met. Recently, training together had been harder. They could no longer blame their worn out bodies on the other being unprepared and they couldn’t just resort to verbally fighting about it either. No, Dom and Amanda expected them to be mature now. And maturity was goddamn overrated. 

Brenna flew up, tightening the braces around her knuckles. She was going to win if it was the last damn thing she would ever do. With a random burst of confidence, Brenna attacked first. She swung wide, a little too wide. Redd dodges it but didn’t have enough time to formulate a counterattack, leaving Brenna room for an under-the-table hit. 

Her left knee made contact with Redd’s stomach and Redd stumbled back to avoid a third attack. The smirk was gone, replaced by a look in her eyes that Brenna could only detect as murder. It wasn’t the first time she had seen that look, they had been training together for years, but it didn’t make it any less scary. 

Redd swung and barely missed Brenna’s face by an inch. The latter quickly tried to come up with a counter attack, but Redd was prepared and dodged it easily, taking Brenna’s legs right out from under her. Her back hit the mat again. Before Redd had time to pin her to the floor yet again, Brenna scrambled upwards.

She knew her back would be bruised severely by tomorrow and that probably wasn’t very good for the mission ahead. She also knew there was no way in hell Redd was taking the victory here. In one swift movement, she matched onto Redd’s wrist and flung her over her shoulder. Redd caught herself and rolled on the mat upright. 

The move had changed their positions, Redd was used to coming from the left, but now she had to come from the right to keep stance. Brenna knew of Redd’s favoring of her left side, and she was using it to her advantage. Still, Redd’s right side was strong too.

Redd leaped forward, hitting Brenna square in the chest and knocking all the air out of her lungs. She twisted out of Redd’s hold and immediately grabbed her forearm, slamming her elbow into Redd’s side. Redd cursed, arm twitching in need to hold her hip.

High on the excitement of finally being able to beat Redd at something, Brenna fired off a 360 roundhouse kick, hitting Redd in the shoulder forcing the girl backward. The entire rest of the training room was watching now, Mina paused mid-conversation with Kai over by the dummies. 

But in the moment it took to glance over at Mina, Brenna had let her guard down. Redd grabbed her wrist hard and pinned her arm across her torso. Brenna’s body was now trapped, pressed up against Redd’s in what could only be described as the most uncomfortable situation she had ever been in. Her other arm was the only thing separating the two of them, as it was trapped behind her back.

In what she was sure was just an effort to keep her lower half from escaping the grip, Redd’s hand squeezed into her thigh. The two were dangerously close, and Brenna suddenly wished the entire room wasn’t staring them down like they were their only source of entertainment.

Redd leaned in close, the thin layer of sweat making her face glow in the fluorescent lighting. Her ponytail tickled the back of Brenna’s neck and if that wasn’t bad enough, Redd’s breath poured over her ear as she whispered, “you forgot something very important, Sellers,” Brenna could’ve sworn the hand gripping her thigh slid down a little, “I’m not just an enemy in here. I’m an enemy who knows you.” 

The hand didn’t leave as she retreated from Brenna’s ear. Slowly, Redd released her hold on all of Brenna’s limbs, releasing the thigh last. Brenna’s heart raced with a feeling between rage and something else. On the verge of breaking, she swung around, Redd’s smirk only making her even more pissed off. She opened her mouth to voice these thoughts but was interrupted by the sound of the training room door being thrown open.

All heads swung towards the door, meeting eyes with the angry interruption. Parker Gates, the top student in a neighboring unit, was standing at the door with a more than pissed expression on his face. Nobody spoke. Instead, Parker took the reins. “Hunt, Sellers. You’re both needed in the briefing room. Now.” 

Redd grunted low in her throat. Everyone in their unit knew Redd wasn’t exactly the easiest to get along with but she and Parker had always been on thin ice. One minute, they’d be talking like normal, the next they would be beating each other’s asses into the mats. It was a constant brawl between the two, and since Brenna and Redd’s rivalry ended, Redd took up a new rivalry in Parker. 

Brenna personally didn’t know Parker all that well. Despite him having the normal throw-down with Redd, he wasn’t seen or heard from much. As much as they fought, Redd and Parker were a lot alike. Perhaps that’s why they butt heads so often. Brenna thought to herself. 

The girls followed Parker out of the training room, sweating and exhausted. They passed the simulator, watching as agents from the B unit trained. Strained groans poured in from a door to their right, one they recognized as the hacker quarters. 

The trio reached the door at the end of the hall, Parker pushing it open with more than enough force. Redd and Brenna both watched as his tough guy exterior went up in flames the minute he stepped in the room. Redd almost bit her tongue off trying not to laugh at her frenemies expression.

Dom and Amanda were leaning over opposite ends of the table, each murmuring quietly as they swapped papers. When they noticed the unlikely triad standing expectantly in the doorway, Dom smiled. Amanda side-glanced him knowingly but didn’t speak. “Girls, Parker,” Dom waved them in, “I need to speak to you three about something.”

Parker nodded, shoving his way into the room, eyes locked with Dom’s. Redd followed. Amanda tossed a small stack of documents at them. ”I'm sure you're all very familiar with the Blacksmiths and their men. After all, they are the most powerful uprising drug cartel in San Francisco. However, we’re beginning to fear they aren’t interested in just drugs.”

Dom slapped a mugshot on top of the papers. “This is Zirconium, the Blacksmiths leader. We have reason to believe she’s trying to ignite business with Brazil and Russia.” He met the wry eyes of the three agents. It was Brenna who asked the question they all wanted the answer to.

“Why? What does she have to offer them?” Dom shrugged in reply. “Guns. Secrets. Recruits. She might even be attempting to start a sex trafficking ring. We don’t know but what we do know is she’s involved with Alyssa’s disappearance—“

“Wait, Alyssa is confirmed missing?” Redd interrupted. All eyes shot to her. Dom hesitated. “It’s an assumption, Agent Hunt. It’s not set in stone. For all we know, Alyssa is in hiding.” Amanda explained. Caution dripped from her voice, careful not to set Redd off.

Brenna saw Redd’s eyes flare. “Yeah,” her chuckle was bitter, “everything’s just an assumption until we find her body in a ditch.” Redd was pissed, to say the least. Everybody knew how close she was to Alyssa. Amanda sighed. “I can assure you, that’s not the case, Redd.” 

Dom cut in, placing a hand on both their shoulders, one that Redd almost immediately shrugged off. “The mission is simple. Mostly. We want you two,” he motioned to Redd and Brenna, “to go undercover in San Francisco as entrepreneurs looking to invest in their business. Zirconium’s people typically hang around the local bars, we’ve booked you a hotel nearby for easy access. We have a few agents stationed down there from the H.A to help you out with your covers.”

Amanda chucked two fake IDs out on the table, along with a couple of fake credit cards. The girls examined them, letting their new names sink in. Dom turned to Parker, eyes softening. “You are in charge of making sure all of the arrangements we’ve set up go smoothly. In the event something doesn’t work out the way we planned, you’re the one to give the orders.” 

Parker seemed surprised, but he nodded, going completely blank again. Redd didn’t seem too excited about Parker overviewing them but she bit her tongue. “So, when do we leave?” Brenna asked.

“Tonight.”

+++++

That night, after hours of packing and beating the crap out of a punching bag in Redd’s case, they were finally ready to board the plane that would take them straight to San Francisco. The girls were to meet Amanda and Dom at the plane before leaving. Brenna heard a loud knock on her door while shoving yet another pair of jeans in her bag. Redd was on the other side, a scowl hidden behind the red mask.

“Are you ready yet or what?” She grunted, bag swinging from her hand. Brenna blinked, scooping her bag up from the bed. “Yep.” She said quickly, tripping over her own feet as she made it out of the door. Redd scoffed, turning and waking away. Brenna fell in step with her partner, side-glancing Redd. 

“This is the biggest mission we’ve been on in a while.” Brenna said, attempting to strike up some conversation. Redd grunted in reply. “Kind of nerve-wracking, you know? Are you nervous at all?” Brenna tried again. Redd didn’t even glimpse at her. “I don’t get nervous.” She answered.

“I get nervous all the time.” Brenna laughed, fidgeting with her thumbs. She didn’t expect Redd to respond, but she did. “Yeah, I know. You do this weird thing with your nose when you’re nervous.” She replied. Brenna was shocked, honestly. She knew Redd paid attention to her in training but she didn’t think Redd gave her much thought outside of that.

Truthfully, they were partners, so Redd noticing things was bound to happen and logically, any good Agent would have and Redd was the best. Brenna just wasn’t all that prepared for it. She didn’t know how to respond to that. So, she didn’t.

Luckily, they had reached the pad where the plane would be taking off, Dom and Amanda waiting for them by the entrance. Dom stepped away to speak with Parker, while Amanda greeted the girls with two Glocks and comms units. “You two know what to do, you’re the two best we have here,” Amanda said, slapping Redd on the arm, “make me proud.”

Brenna could’ve sworn she saw Redd smile a bit at that. Dom came rushing over, a woman with a ponytail and dirt on her face following close behind. “I want you two to meet someone,” Dom said, pushing the woman forward. She was chewing bubblegum that smelled like watermelon. “This is Selena Ward, your technician and the pilot of your flight today.”

Selena shook both the girls hands before turning to Dom. “We should probably head out now if we want to make it by midnight.” Dom nodded, patting both the girls’ forearms. “Good luck, Agents.” 

They followed Selena into the plane, as she explained what she did for a living other than being a criminal. Selena had been excellent with cars growing up and owned her dad’s old garage down the street. She went to school for her pilot license but never actually became a pilot. Her skills were what landed her a job as the Djinn’s head technician. 

“So, you illegally fly planes filled with fugitives for the adventure?” Brenna asked once they’d boarded. Selena laughed, flashing a pearly white smile at them. “I guess you could say that. The pays pretty decent too.” She winked and ducked into the cockpit. Beside Brenna, Redd shifted uncomfortably.

Brenna leaned over slightly, careful not to startle her partner. “You okay?” She asked. Redd sighed, closing her eyes tight and reopening them a few times. “Of course I’m okay.” Redd said through gritted teeth. Before Brenna could even formulate a response, Selena popped back out.

“Hey, you girls ready to take flight. The beginning will be a little bumpy but once we’re in the air it’ll be about an hour and a half before we reach San Fran.” Selena informed the duo. Brenna nodded, and then side glancing Redd, said, “Do you happen to have anything for air sickness?” 

Selena smiled, pulling some tablets out of her bag. “These should make you fall asleep quickly but other than that, not really.” Brenna thanked her and pulled two tablets out of the package, leaving it on the table side. Brenna knew Redd would never admit to being air sick, she would probably rather get sick than admit to actually being sick. 

Reluctantly, Brenna pulled a water bottle from her bag, popping the two tablets and settling back in her seat. She silently prayed that what Selena gave her wasn’t some kind of cyanide. Soon, Brenna was drifting off into a peaceful, dreamless sleep.

+++++

Brenna woke to the sound of Redd shouting. There was a blanket she had never seen before draped over her upper body and the spare tablets on the table were missing, the empty package in their place. The second thing she noticed, was the sound of the plane shuddering, mixed with the sound of Selena and Redd arguing from the cockpit.

Brenna rubbed her eyes, struggling to stand up straight. She stumbled towards the noise but lost her footing near the curtain separating the cockpit from the interior, and fell into the room. All arguing ceased. Redd turned to her with a strange emotion in her eyes, but it quickly disappeared and she leaned down to lift Brenna up from the floor.

Brenna stumbled again, grabbing onto Redd’s arm to balance herself. It occurred to her that the reason she was losing her footing wasn’t because of her drowsiness, but because the plane was violently shaking. Brenna looked to Selena, whom she’d just now noticed was frantically trying every button on the console. 

“What’s going on?” Brenna yelled over the alarms. Selena started pulling the levers from above. The plane took a large dive, and Brenna watched as Redd braced herself against the back of Selena’s seat. “I’ve lost control of the plane,” Selena shouted back in fear, “it’s like it has a mind of its own.”

Something clicked in Redd’s mind, and she pushed Selena’s hands away from the console. Her baby blues scanned over the control panel, piecing things together. The aircraft starting plummeting again, but the buttons were still glowing as if someone was pressing them. “We’ve been hijacked!” Redd exclaimed. Selena looked at the buttons as realization crossed her face.

“She’s right.” She yelled back. Brenna started to panic. She knew what to do during hijackings, she had classes on this, but right now she couldn’t come up with anything. Luckily, Redd was much better in these situations, pulling away the shell of the console.

She and Selena began rearranging the wires, trying any and every method they could come up with to gain back control of the craft. Selena was pulling every lever she could reach, Redd at her side running through everything she ever knew about hijacks. Brenna felt useless, she wasn’t experienced in this field at all.

After what felt like an hour, Redd turned to Brenna, who swore she could see a bead of sweat on her partner’s face. Redd’s gaze snapped to Selena. “Do this plane have any parachutes?” Redd shouted. An alarm went off in the plane. The engine was failing. Selena nodded, looking ok the verge of an anxiety attack herself, but she held it together.

Reaching over Brenna’s head, Selena pulled three parachutes out of the compartment. The plane shook again, Brenna clasping Redd’s arm again. The three girls fastened there parachutes as quickly as they could, rushing to the door at the back of the plane. Selena threw open the door, the force of the sudden air sending Brenna backwards. This time, it was Redd who grabbed her. Uprighting her partner, Redd glanced at Selena and then at the ground below.. 

Selena nodded, a silent answer to Redd’s unspoken question. Without another word, Selena turned toward the door, gripping the sides with white knuckles. And then, she jumped. Redd approached the gap in the plane, staring down at the distant green of what she knew to be grass. Next to her, she sensed more than heard Brenna’s slight whimper of reluctance. 

“You have to jump!” Redd screamed over the alarms. Brenna glimpsed at the ground. Her stomach sank. Trees. So many trees. It was so, so far down. What if she got impaled on the way down? What if she broke something? What if the parachute didn’t work? What if she got separated from Redd and Selena? 

Redd shook her, forcing Brenna to stop her train of thought. “I don’t think I can.” Brenna croaked. There was something in Redd’s face, maybe not fear, but some emotion that told Brenna she wasn’t alone in her worries. “You can do this,” Redd gripped Brenna’s forearms, “you’re a djinn.” And with that, Redd jumped, her arms securely locked around Brenna’s, pulling the smaller girl down with her and hurling through the air.


	3. Judgement Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things get all the more interesting as they arrive at the hotel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Get ready gays!!

Brenna blacked out the minute she saw the ground hurling toward her.

It was only for a few seconds, but what was even scarier was the sight of the plane rapidly falling out of the sky behind her when she came to. Brenna was immediately aware that she was, in fact, falling. The parachute on her back hung tight around her waist, and she had somehow let go of Redd while falling. She didn’t know when.

Brenna knew that the height they were flying at was close 13,500 feet up in the air. Which meant that she didn’t know to deploy the parachute until she reached 5,000 feet. That meant she was free falling for a good fifty seconds. This information she had stored from her training didn’t stop her mind from wanting to deploy the parachute right now. 

The fifty seconds felt like forever, the emptiness in her stomach mixed with the adrenaline rushing to her head caused her to keep her fearful eyes on the ground. At about fifty seconds, Brenna finally deployed the parachute.

At first, things were fine. The parachute worked, luckily, and she was falling at a much slower speed now, almost gliding. She could see the clearing already, where Selena was taking her parachute off and Redd was just landing. For a moment, she thought she would make it.

She felt a small tug on her right shoulder. Curiously, she looked at the strap where the parachute was connected. Another tug. The strap was fraying. Brenna panicked for the third time that day. One more tug and the strap on the right was undone. She was falling again.

The parachute, now uneven, swung towards the trees, dragging Brenna along. She let out a horrible scream as she slammed into the bulky trunk of a tall tree. Limbs, briars and every other part of the trees seemed to be in perfect position to hit Brenna’s every body part. 

She could tell she wasn’t far from the clearing, just right outside of it really, but she still shrieked when one particularly long limb scraped her arm. The parachute caught in the trees and pulled Brenna’s accelerating body back with a jolt. She finally stopped moving. Brenna hung there for a moment, just twenty feet off the ground, catching her breath. 

She could hear Redd’s shouts and the sounds of footsteps coming towards her. Slowly, she reached up and unbuckled herself from the parachute. Twenty feet, she fell to the ground, slamming her head against the dirt. Her vision blurred, but she could just barely make out the silhouettes of Redd and Selena.

A warm hand pressed itself against Brenna’s cheek. Through the ringing in her ears, she heard Redd’s voice. “—na? Are you okay? Hey, Sellers, stay with me.” A few quick pats to the cheek. Brenna’s head throbbed, even the slightest bit of light hurt her eyes, she tasted blood in her mouth. Her whole body felt drained, the high from the adrenaline leaving and taking all her energy with it. 

She cracked one eye barely opened, incoherently grunting in response to Redd’s question. Redd sighed, settling back on her ankles in front of the smaller girl. “Were not far from where we were supposed to land,” Selena said after a beat of silence, “I can go attempt to find the car.” 

Redd nodded, murmuring something about keeping a walkie on. Brenna could barely hear anything. She didn’t want to open her eyes. Redd stood, jabbing Brenna in the side with her foot. “Hey,” Redd groaned, “come on, you can’t just lay here forever.” Brenna barely moved a muscle. 

“Says who?” She choked out. It sounded broken and sent her into a coughing fit. Redd ran a hand down her face. Once the coughing passed, Brenna settled back down flat against the leaves. She could sense Redd’s presence looming over her. Brenna cracked an eye open again, more curious than anything. Redd’s hand was extended to her, an offering.

Brenna, not really knowing to react, instinctively reached for it, unprepared for the entirety of her weight to be pulled up smoothly from the pile of leaves. If she wasn’t so out of it, she probably would’ve thought that was hot. She stumbled, not used to being on her feet and Redd gripped her arm tight.

“Easy there,” she heard her partner whisper to her, it was soft. Redd tossed Brenna’s arm over her shoulder, grabbing at her waist. She didn’t say a word, just began to shuffled their way to the clearing. “You’re strong.” Brenna said without even realizing she said it. Redd chuckled. 

“Is that so?” Her voice practically leaked amusement, but Brenna just kept talking. “Yeah. You could probably take on Dom or Amanda.” She knew she was rambling. But she was finally getting a reaction out of Redd, and that was more than she’d gotten in a while. Again, Redd’s body vibrated against her side. 

“Amanda, definitely. Dom, I don’t know about that one.” Redd replied. Brenna didn’t have to look up to know she was grinning. Without realizing it, Brenna allowed her head to fall lazily on to Redd’s shoulder. She felt the other stiffen under her for a moment, but she quickly relaxed. “He’s just a big softie.” Brenna slurred.

Redd has to hold herself back from laughing. The two slowed to a stop, Redd kicking some parachutes together and lowering Brenna onto them. Still mumbling, she lied down softly, slightly amazed by the smoothness which Redd was lowering her, like her entire weight was nothing for Redd to lift.

“I’m going to try and find Selena, see if we can locate the car.” Redd pulled the fabric closer to Brenna. Her headache was starting to die down a little bit, but she still felt that movement wasn’t a good idea. Still, Brenna couldn’t let Redd and Selena do all the work. “I’ll come with.” She insisted. Before she could even sit up, Redd’s foot very carefully lowered her back down to the ground. “You need to rest your head. And probably ice it. Just stay here and try to do yourself a favor.”

Reluctantly, but secretly kind of relieved, Brenna agreed. Maybe it was the blunt force head trauma but she could’ve sworn she’d seen Redd smile, signature bright red lips usually pulled into a frown split and flash her a mouth if perfect white teeth. It was probably the blunt force head trauma. 

A second later, she was alone and in just a few more minutes, she had fallen asleep. 

+++

For the second time that day, Brenna awoke to the sound of Redd and Selena bickering. She blinked. Her head still ached, her back sore and bruised. She noticed that she was no longer lying in a bed of parachutes, instead she was in the back of a dimly lit car. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the scene in front of her.

Redd and Selena sat side-by-side, arguing over whether or not they had missed a turn. Brenna couldn’t see who was driving, though she wasn’t all that concerned about it. “It would’ve been quicker had we turned left.” Selena said, folding her arms in front of her and angling herself away from the brunette beside her. Redd rolled her eyes. “I’m pretty sure the driver knows where we’re going.” She retorted.

It was in this moment of invisibility that Brenna noticed something. There was something different in Redd’s eyes, something that showcased amusement more than annoyance when she looked at Selena. It wasn’t exactly fondness, for Redd wasn’t really fond of anyone, but Brenna could tell that despite the bickering, Redd actually didn’t mind Selena all that much. 

In one swift glance, Redd caught Brenna’s eye. That little flicker went out and was replaced by something else indecipherable. “Sleeping Beauty has awaken.” Redd announced. Selena’s gaze slide over to her, she gave her a small smile. “Welcome back.” 

Reaching backwards, Selena flipped a switch on the ceiling, and the screen behind her lowered, revealing a short girl with curly brown hair behind the wheel. She had bangs and glasses, her hair pulled back from her face. She was dressed in all black, much like the trio in the back. Selena motioned to the girl. “This is Ale, an agent from H.A. She and her partner are here to be your escorts.”

Brenna opened her mouth to say something, not sure exactly what just yet, maybe an introduction, but Redd cut her off. “I already insisted that we don’t need a babysitter but obviously that wasn’t taken into account.” She looked Selena in the eyes as she said it. Selena chuckled. “Not my choice, Hunt. Dom sent for them.” 

Redd’s smile was nothing short of bitter. “Of course he did.” She shot back. Brenna suddenly felt massively uncomfortable in the car. Redd was known to not get along with bigger personalities, and Selena’s wasn’t near Redd’s size, she didn’t seem to back down easy. Brenna couldn’t tell if Redd liked the friendly competition or hated it. 

“Here,” Selena dug her hand into a duffle by her feet, “put these on.” She threw the girls two dresses. Redd’s was a bright red that perfectly matched her lipstick. It had halter top sleeves and a gold belt sewed in around the waist. Brenna’s was a navy blue, long sleeved with a silver and black studded belt that hung high on her hips.

Redd immediately started stripping out of her outfit and Brenna all but leaped into the trunk to avoid that. She dressed quickly, not bothering to fix the awkward wrinkles before making sure Redd was dressed and leaping back over. Selena shot her an odd look but didn’t press it. 

Selena handed them each a handgun. “This mission is far from easy. Be alert at all times.” For the next ten minutes, Selena talked on about standard procedure if the mission were to go south. When they finally pulled up to the hotel, Selena was making her final points. “Whatever you do, never split up. This side of town is dangerous, especially being who you two are. Watch your backs.” Finally, she tossed each of them a duffle bag. “That’s all you’ll need over this next week.”

Both girls nodded, pulling out their fake identities. Selena bid them farewell before she climbed out of the car and set off down the street. Ale turned to them, bangs flying into her eyes. “Alex and I will be up at your suite tomorrow at two pm sharp for the briefing. If you need anything, give us a call. Until then, be careful. Blacksmiths are running these streets, be sure to blend in.” And with that, Ale turned back around.

The girls shared a look before slowly exiting the car themselves, Ale speeding off before Brenna could barely say thanks. Redd, always the one for the dramatics, observed the building with a watchful eye. It looked like the place a rich person would stay, not at all like the off-road bar just outside of the city they would be visiting.

A large set of stairs led up to the golden front door of the hotel, people in suits with binders and coffee walking past. Brenna felt out of place. Redd, however, had never been more in her element. No one would have ever really guessed that Redd would enjoy a life so cliche, but she was as dramatic as they came. She strolled right up the stairs, bag in hand, her ID in the other. Brenna followed, attempting to pull the wrinkles out of her dress. 

She fell in step with Redd, watching as her partner made her way through the crowd that parted like the Red Sea for the girl on a mission. The woman behind the front desk smiled as the two approached. Redd all but threw the ID at her. “Maurice Lancaster, we reserved a room here earlier today.” The woman glanced at the ID, at Redd and then began typing away on her computer. She looked at Redd wearily, as if she was amazed by the mix of confidence and arrogance coming off of her.

“Ah, Yes. Here are your room keys, breakfast is served from six in the morning to noon.” She glimpsed at the key cards. “And congratulations.” The woman beamed at the pair. Redd slowly slid a key card off the counter. Brenna couldn’t help but ask. “On what?” The woman behind the counter chuckled. “You booked the honeymoon suite! When was the wedding?”

She was looking at the two expectantly, but all the color had drained from Redd’s face, a feeling of realization and absolute dread passing over her. Brenna reacted quickly, wrapping an arm around Redd’s waist and pulling her closer. Redd stiffened. “Yesterday,” she replied sweetly, feeling Redd’s burning hot skin under her fingertips. The woman grinned, satisfied with the answer. 

Brenna snatched up the second keycard and made a break for the elevator. She could still feel the woman’s eyes on them, which is why she kept her arm firmly wrapped around Redd. That was the only reason. As soon as the elevator doors closed, Redd all but jumped from Brenna’s hold.

“I am so going to kill that little mentor of yours.” She growled, sounding slightly winded. Brenna was taken aback. She was practically immobile a second ago and now she was just fine. “How do you know it was Dom?” Brenna asked, crossing her arms over her chest. Dom wouldn’t do that, not knowing the tension between the two. 

“Because,” Redd groaned, “Amanda knows I would kick her ass.” Brenna didn’t ask why. Though she really, really wanted to. Instead, she tried to appear to be thinking of who else could’ve done it. The thought occurred to her that maybe Selena had done it, but Selena had no authority over the mission for something like that. And then she had it. She almost laughed. “What are you smiling about?” Redd grumbled.

Brenna did laugh this time. “It was Parker.” She exclaimed. Something passed over Redd’s face, and then a look of clarity. “Of course,” she said, flopping her hands out to the sides, “that makes a lot of sense. I can’t wait to ring that little fools neck.” Brenna couldn’t help but laugh even louder at that.

Redd sighed, looking exasperated but slightly amused with the idea. The elevator dinged and they stepped out, making their way towards room 568. It hadn’t occurred to them until they opened the door to the suite how big it would be. It also didn’t occur to them that the suite was for couples. Meaning, there was only one bed. They both seemed to notice this at the same time. 

“Hell no.” Redd said, throwing her bag on the floor. “I’m not doing it. I’m taking the couch.” The old burgundy couch next to the bed looked like the most uncomfortable thing in the entire world. The cushions were stained and the couch itself was too small for someone of Redd’s height. 

“We’ll take turns with the couch, if you want.” Brenna said quietly as she sat her bag in the bag. Redd didn’t say anything, she just nodded. Brenna flopped on the bed at the same time the couch cracked as Redd flopped onto it. “Well, this is our home for the next week or so.” Brenna sighed out loud.

“Yeah,” said Redd, “Home, shit, home.”


	4. Whisper of Steel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yikes this hasn’t been updated in a minute. Enjoy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let’s be honest, we all love Merc.

As stressed as she was, the decision to send Redd and Brenna to San Francisco had been one of Amanda’s best yet. Redd, her number one weapons expert, and Brenna, her leading information agent. Both were completely capable of completing this mission on their own, and it probably would have been much easier for that to have been the case. However, to be frank, Amanda was tired.

Tired of Redd’s rebellious antics (as much as she did care for the girl, her inability to follow protocol always created more chaos than needed), tired of Brenna’s unspoken but very much present desire to prove she was just as good as Redd, and so, so tired of the two dancing around each other.

Dom had been pushing them together for years, sending them on unnecessary house calls that definitely did not call for agents of their ability. Amanda didn’t particularly support this notion, it was risky to send out their two best agents for something as simple as a convenience store robbery. Of course, she had nearly talked Dom’s ear off with her concerns. Dom didn’t seem to care much, or acknowledge her in these times.

It would seem the entire agency as a whole agreed on pushing the two girls together. Though, Amanda would bet that was more because no one else wanted to try and take the two best agents on except themselves. It had been Dom’s idea to send the pair to San Francisco, but ultimately it was Amanda’s call. 

Of course, the deciding factor had been the recent event. Amanda didn’t want to worry Redd, temperamental, hotheaded Redd, but she herself was quite worried about the disappearance of Alyssa Mathis. Long time member of the Djinn, Alyssa had joined under Dom, her familial roots to the Djinn’s founders making her a shoo-in for the organization.

Alyssa quickly formed a bond with Redd, a trainee at the time who was particularly unreachable. Redd was guarded, Amanda knew that much, she always had an issue with opening up to anyone. It took almost three years for Redd to even look Brenna Sellers in the eye, a person she trusted with her life each day.

Alyssa was able to guide Redd, not that she needed it very much. They exhibited a mentor-student relationship that developed more into a sisterly bond. If there was even suspicion that Alyssa was in trouble, Redd would’ve jumped in head first. Which is exactly why Amanda couldn’t tell her anything about Alyssa’s disappearance.

Amanda had hand-selected Redd and Brenna both for recruitment. She knew they would make a dynamic duo, if only Brenna could break down Redd’s walls. She seemed to be doing a decent enough job, though she wasn’t quite there yet. Amanda hoped the mission was enough to bring the girls closer, being closer to Redd’s previous roots. If anyone could get through to Redd, it would be Brenna, but there wasn’t much time left for that.

The major brought herself out of her thoughts as a young recruit came running up to her, her short legs going as fast as they could. The young girl, Stacy, was just fourteen and barely three months into her training. “Major Holland,” Stacy panted, “there’s a woman at the door, she asks to speak with you.”

Amanda raised an eyebrow. She wasn’t expecting anyone, and headquarters was so difficult to find she doubted anyone she knew would be able to locate her. She followed the recruit up the staircase, pushing Stacy behind her when they reached the door. Hand resting on her gun, she opened the door to the warehouse.

A woman of roughly 26 stood expectantly in the center of the room. She stood at 5 feet and 8 inches tall, a weight of approximately 140, Amanda guessed. Her blonde hair was pulled into a high ponytail, skin tight black suit hugging her legs and hips. “Can I help you?” Amanda managed. This woman was gorgeous, no doubt.

“Amanda Holland?” The woman said with an authoritative tone. She did a once over on Amanda, making it obvious she was scanning her from head to toe. Amanda shoulders tended under her intense gaze. “Who’s asking?” 

The woman met her eyes again, seemingly satisfied with whatever information she had acquired from looking at her. “Kassie Suarez, Hoffman Attorneys. That’s the day job, at least.” She began crossing the floor, black heels clicking against the concrete. Amanda could see Stacy peeking out from behind her back. 

“Two of my operatives are escorting your agents, Hunt and Sellers, on their San Francisco mission.” Kassie explained with a bitter smile. Amanda breathes a sigh of relief. She threw her own grin on her face as well. “You’re the overseer of Ale Carrillo and Marie Rutledge. Welcome to the Djinn.” Amanda stepped away from the door, allowing Kassie to follow.

From the sound of clicking heels, she could tell Kassie wasted no time in following her down the descending staircase. “Stacy, I want you and Mari on the mat in ten minutes, I want to see your roundhouse kick.” Amanda ordered the young girl still trailing her. With a quick “yes ma’am”, Amanda and Kassie were alone, the former leading the latter through the training and simulation rooms. 

When they reached the conference room, Amanda swiped her entry card and held the door for Kassie. Dom stood behind Parker, hands on the smaller boy’s shoulders. “This is my partner, Dominic, he’s the lead operative at this location. The chosen successor of our founder. That’s Parker, the number one rank holder the B unit.” Amanda motioned to the boys and then to the blonde beside her, “Boys, this is Kassie Suarez from Hoffman. She’s here to help out with the SF2 mission.”

The boys nodded greetings, eyes fixated on the computer in front of them. Parker was typing away, Dom watching intently. Kassie approached the duo, casting a glance at Amanda, who didn’t react. “You have an agent overseeing a mission?” Kassie asked, glimpsing briefly at Parker. Amanda senses the subtle disapproval. “Dom is overseeing the mission. Parker is simply working it.”

Kassie analyzed Parker for a moment, giving a slight hum in response. “You said he’s number one in the B unit, who’s number one in the A unit?” She asked after a pause. Amanda caught her eye yet again, the hazel practically burning itself into her memory. “Redd Hunt. She’s a special case.” 

Kassie nodded. “I’ve done my research on Redd Hunt. She seems like quite the impressive operative.” Amanda silently agreed. Taking a seat beside the blonde, the pair watched as Dom and Parker worked, Amanda catching the short peeks Kassie took at her from the corner of her eye. Only one thought reoccurred, if Hoffman sent a major to look after the mission, it wasn’t nearly as low scale as everyone thought. 

+++

Not an hour after they had reached the hotel, Brenna had passed out. Her head still ached from the fall, bruises forming on her rib cage and back, accompanied by small cuts littering her stomach. She wasn’t sure how long she had been asleep when she awoke, spread out on the ugly burgundy couch in the corner of the room. What she did know was that this dress was extremely uncomfortable. 

Redd’s bags were nowhere to be seen, more than likely already put away, but Brenna’s were still out and she took the chance to quickly make her way to the bathroom and change into a light blue top and black jeans. 

The door on her right was slightly ajar, and Brenna impulsively opened it the rest of the way. It occurred to her only a second after she had pulled it open that Redd may have left it partially closed for a reason, but it was much too late for that because here she was, eyes locked with a half-naked Redd.

She froze. Blinked. Panicked.

She was sure her eyes were as wide as quarters right about now. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t know you were in here.” She said quickly. Redd’s expression didn’t waver. Truthfully, Redd was decently clothed, nothing short of the equivalent to a bathing suit, but Brenna had never seen her in a bathing suit or anything other that showed more skin than a tank top. 

“This is a two-roomed suite. Where the hell else would I be.” It was not a question, Brenna noted. And yet for some reason, she still did not close the door. “I-I don’t know!” Truth be told, Brenna didn’t know why she felt the need to explain herself or why she hadn’t just gone back in the other room. She snapped out of her awkward and fidgety trance when Redd raised an eyebrow at her, her expression flat but lips quirked.

Brenna quickly reached and pulled the door to a close, but not before he gaze landed on something that made her motion slow for a split second. On Redd’s upper right thigh was a wound. It wasn’t fresh, aged years beforehand, but just looking at it made Brenna shiver. It was a burn, clearly acidic and it looked like it hadn’t been used only once. She closed the door before Redd could see her looking at it. 

Ten minutes later, Redd walked out, red leather jacket hanging off her shoulder and keys in her hand. Brenna watched quietly as Redd made her way to the door, not sparing a glance at her. It wasn’t until the hotel door was wide open that Redd turned back and gave her a look. “Are you coming?” 

They drove in silence, Brenna mindlessly playing with the loose strings on her jeans from the passenger's seat of the rental car. They pulled into the parking lot of a rundown bar only minutes later. The LED sign was clearing running low on batteries, the S in “Octavia’s” slightly crooked. 

Redd sighed, fixing her lipstick in the driver's side mirror. “I’ve arranged a meeting with someone.” She said shortly.

Brenna side-glanced her partner. She was tempted to ask if Amanda was aware of this, but decided against it. It would only anger Redd. So, she nodded and watched as Redd slipped on a pair of dark black sunglasses and exited the car. Brenna followed her into the bar, keeping close. 

Redd stopped in the doorway, scanning the patrons for a familiar face. Brenna saw her lips push upwards a centimeter, a tick Brenna had grown to learn to watch for. Redd had found whoever she was looking for. With a soft smack on her arm, she whispered, “come on.”

They selected a booth in the back of the bar, sitting opposite of one another. Redd didn’t speak, just kept her eyes down and focused on the chipped wood of the table. Brenna followed suit, feeling kind of awkward. Just as she was about to ask who it was Redd was meeting with, a man in all black shuffled past, his dark hand slipping a single bronze penny on the table.

Redd’s lips quirked as she pocketed the penny, motioning for Brenna to follow her. They exited through the front door again, Redd casting a few wary glances over her shoulder before nodding to Brenna. Dipping behind the crumbling wall of the bar, the concrete turned to gravel as it crunched beneath Redd’s boots. 

Parked behind the blue dumpsters was a black cadillac, tinted windows and obviously modified to be used as a racing car. Perched on the hood of the car was a man taller than both girls, wide torso and broad shoulders matched with the frown etched on his face. He would make a difficult opponent. 

As they neared closer, Brenna began having her doubts about the situation. She wanted to turn back, to tell Dom where they were and about the man currently staring daggers into Redd’s profile. Halfway through her small crisis, the penny from earlier made a sharp cling before soaring through the air and the man caught it with ease, like it was routine.

Redd stopped about ten feet away the hood of the car and all Brenna could think about was the length between her and the rental car. It was Redd who broke the silence. 

“Were you followed?” She asked, tone sharp and strict. Brenna was well used to this tone. The man’s eyes narrowed as he glared. “Of course not. Harrington is the only one who knows my location.” His voice was husky and assertive and judging by the way his arms remained crossed tightly over his body, the question was not one he appreciated.

“Is he still trustworthy?” Was the next thing out of Redd’s mouth. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Redd scanning the perimeter, the sea of blue meeting the man’s once more.

“I wouldn’t still be with him if he wasn’t.” The man’s reply was blunt and he sounded tired of the conversation already. Brenna, on the other hand, had never been more alert. He uncrossed his arms and slid off the hood of the car, slowly making his way to the pair. 

“I hope that relationship of yours hasn’t been interfering with our work.”

“Are you questioning my abilities as an agent?” The man stopped in front of Redd. Up close, he was scarier than ever before. He had a good seven inches on Redd, who wasn’t all that tall to begin with, and at least 40 pounds of muscle more than she did. 

“I don’t know, do I have a reason to.” Redd countered. It was at this exact point, Brenna began to fear for her partner’s life. There wasn’t much she could do with their close proximity without injuring Redd, but surely she could find something around him to hit him with if he posed a threat. Sure, her fighting skills were good, great even, but for an opponent that much bigger and stronger, it would be tough. 

The man’s laugh interrupted her inner monologue, equally as husky as his voice. He looked a lot less scary with a smile on his face. What she really didn’t expect was for Redd to match his smile with one of her own. It wasn’t a chaotic smile, it wasn’t vengeful or cocky like her smiles normally were. It was happy. 

Brenna could only stare in disbelief as Redd’s hands snaked around his torso, pulling him close, and he reciprocated the hug. “It’s good to see you,” she heard her partner breathe against his chest. The man laughed, squeezing her tighter. “Good to see you too. Though I do have to admit, I wasn’t expecting you to still have all your limbs.”

Redd laughed, loud and full of emotion. It was a complete 180 from the cold look and monotone voice she usually used. In all her years of knowing Redd Hunt, this was a side Brenna had never seen of her partner. The moment was cute and Brenna almost teared up a little, but being over-analytical was both a gift and a curse. 

On the inside of the man’s bicep was a tattoo. Two pick-axes crossed over one another with a red “X” branching off the middle. The tattoo was clear as day and was unmistakable. Her mouth moved before her brain could. “You’re a Blacksmith.” 

The man’s eyes shot to her, his expression suddenly closed again. Brenna gulped, hand reaching for anything she could grab and use as a weapon. She knew she couldn’t run, not when he had his arms wrapped around the body of her partner. She would have to fight.

For the third time in the span of twenty minutes, the man surprised her. Instead of holding a gun to her partner’s head or attacking her, he simply held out a hand. “My name is Mercury.” He said with the same smile as before. The look on Brenna’s face must have been nothing more than bewilderment, because Redd’s laughter could be heard only a second later.

“Merc works for me. We’re old friends.” She pulled away from him, untangling herself and taking a small step back so Brenna could shake his hand. She took it warily, noting how big it was compared to her own. “For you?” Merc questioned, “I work with you, brat.” 

Redd’s smile turned cocky and familiar as she slapped Merc on the arm. “You always were a details guy.” 

Brenna was still stunned by the demeanor change and didn’t even notice when Merc had to forcefully tug his hand away from her grip. She couldn’t help the words that tumbled out of her mouth. “Were you assigned to the project as well?”

Merc met her eyes, giving a short chuckle. “Not officially, no. I’ve been helping Hunt with some background stuff for a while now though.” Redd beamed in acknowledgement. “Speaking of which,” he removed an envelope from his back pocket and placed it in Redd’s awaiting hand, “I have to get back to HQ before they notice I’m gone. That was all I could find on the car.”

Redd nodded, folding the envelope into her jacket. She gave Merc one last hug before grabbing Brenna’s wrist and hauling her away from the dumpster.

“Since when do we work with Blacksmiths?” She asked once they were safely back in the car and on the highway back to the hotel. Redd didn’t give her more than a glance. “Merc isn’t a Blacksmith. Officially, he does work for Zirconium. But Merc never has and will be a Blacksmith.” 

That was the only information Redd offered for the rest of the drive back, and in the silence, Brenna’s mind drifted to the burn mark on Redd’s thigh. She would know if Redd had gotten such a mark while on a mission. No, it was older. Much older. And for some reason, that did not sit well with Brenna Sellers.


End file.
